Don and Jen Knebel
On a recent
trip to Christel House South Africa, we were given a tour of the grade school. Just after starting the tour, we came to a
class in which the children were all sleeping on the floor. With no other easy way to get to our
destination, we stepped over and around them.
But not a single one of the sleeping students so much as moved a muscle,
let alone awoke. When we later visited
the homes where these children live, we understood the reason our intrusion
went unnoticed. Living with up to ten
people in a single room does not allow much opportunity for young people to get
the sleep they need. Christel House,
knowing that a rested body is essential for learning, gives its young students some
time during the day just to sleep.
Addressing
all the needs of disadvantaged children and not just their needs for learning
is why Christel House succeeds in educating these children. Children who are hungry cannot concentrate,
so Christel House feeds them. Children
who are ill cannot stay in class, so Christel House provides medical care. Children who live in chaos cannot study, so
Christel House provides time for students to study before they go home. And students without shoes cannot walk to the
bus, so Christel House gives them shoes.
This
holistic approach to education works miracles.
In South Africa, where less than half of all students finish high
school, nearly all the Christel House students who begin high school
graduate.
In a country where even those
who finish school have trouble passing the “matric” examination, all but one of
the most recent graduates passed the first time.
The miracles
that Christel House works in its students are why we support it.
In the months to come, we will talk more
about those miracles and the activities that help create them.
Labels: children, Christel House, Christel House India, family support, success
By: Meaghan Burns, Culver Academies India Trip 2013
Participant
 |
| Above:
Arpitha, Meaghan, and Daniel |
The past four days at Christel House has been an experience that
has changed my life. I thought I understood the power of a smile and what it
meant to the be truly happy, until I met Arpitha and Daniel. Arpitha is a young
7th grader with a striking smile. She doesn't talk much, but when she does it's
worth listening to. She speaks with the wisdom of a mother and turns every head
with her smile. The impact of that little girl's smile will stay me forever as
I will always remember little Arpitha. Daniel is an 8th grader who was blessed
with the opportunity to receive a three year scholarship to Culver Summer Camp.
Last summer was his first summer in the states. We immediately hit it off talking
about all of the beautiful spots on the campus and our mutual friends.
Throughout the entire four days I spent with Daniel, I never saw him without a
smile on his face. He was always radiating with happiness. I learned from my
two new friends that the greatest thing in one's life is pure happiness. This
is an experience that I will never forget. I have been so touched by my
experience at Christel House that I am hopefully going to come back in 5 years
when I graduate from Cal Poly and volunteer as a teacher here to give back to
the school whose students have given me so much. I am truly thankful for all
the adults who have made who made this trip possible, Ms. Fulton, Papa B, Mr.
Watts, and my parents for making this experience a reality!
Labels: children, Christel House India, Culver Academies, Culver Academy, guest visit
By Culver Academies India Trip 2013
Our first day at Christel House was a blast!
We started the morning by visiting the kindergarten children.
They showed off their newly learned English skills. We also received many high
fives because Christel had just taught them during her recent visit.
We then went and watched their weekly all school assembly. It
was led by one of the first grade classes. They were adorable. They ended
everything that they said with the words "thank you." They also sang
a song about the sun!
We continued our day by spending time with our partners at
Christel House. They showed us around the beautiful facilities and told us a
little bit more about their school.
We then started the art part of our connection.
We each made an individual
sketch of something about our culture and shared them with our partners.
Afterwards we joined the whole group and shared our sketches with everyone.
Some partners even explained each other's sketch instead of their own. It was a
fun way to learn about Indian culture.
BTW:
Mr. Behling loves Culver's connection with Christel House.
Labels: children, Christel House India, Culver, Culver Academies, Culver Academy, guest visit, poverty, students
